Player moves

As I expressed last night on Twitter, it seems fairly evident to me that Theo Epstein’s move to become the next General Manager of the Chicago Cubs is a net negative for the Mets. From a competitive standpoint, one of the industry’s best GMs will now be constructing teams that… Read More →

Hope you are enjoying the holiday. As most of you know, it was on this date back in 1492 that Christopher Columbus built three ships and sailed all the way from Italy to America using a map of the West Indies. Just a spectacular accomplishment in 24 hours. Here are… Read More →

Yes, I’m as disgusted by this idea as you are. But it’s been raised again, this time by Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Renck writes: “Opposing executives expect the Rockies to be aggressive in their pursuit of the Mets’ David Wright. The Mets have said he’s not available,... Read More →

Let’s leave aside, for a moment, the arguments over how much the Mets have to spend. Whether payroll is at $200 million, $100 million or $50 million, the way to maximize it is to pay less for more production at every roster spot. That is intelligent operating, and it helps… Read More →

Worth taking a look at WAR to determine the best second base options for 2012 in-house. The stat really summarizes nicely what the strengths and weaknesses are of the three candidates: Player Offensive WAR Defensive WAR Total WAR Daniel Murphy 1.8 0.1 1.9 Justin Turner 1.4 -1.2 0.2 Ruben Tejada ... Read More →

It is easy to look at RA Dickey’s 8-13 record in 2011 and be underwhelmed. Easy, but foolish. Dickey has been the team’s best pitcher, and has essentially kept pace with his revelatory 2010 season. His ERA stands at 3.35, after a 2.84 mark last year. His strikeout rate has… Read More →

Greetings! Leaving shortly to see the Mets play two. We’ve seen the first game lineup for the 4:10 start, and Ruben Tejada is the shortstop. So either the Mets will activate Jose Reyes for Game 2, or there’s been a delay. We will keep you posted. It is supposed to… Read More →

On the negative side, it looks like both Jon Niese (back) and Scott Hairston (ribcage) will be on the Disabled List. On the positive side, Mike Nickeas is coming up, Miguel Batista’s got a chance to get called up (giving the Mets another writing pitcher to pair with RA Dickey),... Read More →

Some interesting comments on what needs to change with this bullpen. I avoided a modifier for bullpen to avoid running afoul of LoHud obscenity policy. About halfway in, I ask him about particular solutions- he is high on Josh Stinson. Listen for more. Where? Listen here!

For the past few weeks, the Mets assured everyone that they would sign first-round pick Brandon Nimmo. The beat reporters said the same. Anyone I spoke to with knowledge said it. So though Nimmo remained unsigned late into Monday evening, and the deadline for signing him was Midnight, I elected… Read More →

Just got the official word: Jose Reyes is headed to the DL with his mild hamstring strain. I applaud the move as part of the team’s justifiable caution with injuries. It is a shame that hasn’t helped prevent more of them, but it probably is the difference between getting a… Read More →

Well, that’s an exaggeration, but the news isn’t great. The Mets announced the following a short time ago, in a press release: “Jose Reyes left the game yesterday in the second inning after experiencing stiffness in his left hamstring. “Daniel Murphy was removed from the game in the seventh inning… Read More →

It is easy to get lost in the small details, the many tiny moments and data points that make up a year in the life of a major league baseball team. But I wanted to take a step back, and point out a glorious arc, courtesy of Sandy Alderson and… Read More →

Well, if media reports are true, Sandy Alderson is back from his pillaging, and the treasure chest contains… Zack Wheeler. As Beltran Booty goes, this will do nicely. (Tomorrow, we’ll tackle what it means for the 2011 Mets.) Wheeler was the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He’s currently… Read More →